Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for Tuesday in Ahmedabad, police confirmed that six schools in the city have received threatening emails regarding potential bomb blasts. Law enforcement, including bomb disposal squads and crime branch teams, are currently conducting inspections at these schools.
DCP of the cyber crime branch, Lavina Sinha, informed PTI, “Some schools in Ahmedabad have received emails threatening bomb blasts. So far, six schools have reported receiving such emails to us. This incident appears to be reminiscent of the bomb threats received by schools in Delhi a few days ago.” Sinha added, “Based on our initial investigation, the domain of the email is located outside of India.”
Local police, along with bomb disposal squads and crime branch personnel, are actively conducting inspections at the schools mentioned in the threatening emails.
The Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat will witness polling in 25 constituencies on Tuesday.
Addressing concerns, DCP Control of Ahmedabad City reassured the public, stating, “No need to panic, exaggerate…5-6 schools have been threatened through mail about bomb blast…we are checking. No need to give too much hype…people should not panic as tomorrow is poll day.”
This occurrence follows closely after 131 schools in Delhi received bomb threats on May 1, originating from an email ID ‘sawariim@mail.ru.’ The term ‘Sawariim,’ an Arabic word meaning ‘clashing of the swords,’ has been linked to the terrorist group Islamic State since 2014, used for propagating Islamist ideology.
In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a statement dismissing the email as a hoax, urging calm and stating that necessary measures were being taken by Delhi Police and security agencies.
Subsequently, the Special Cell of Delhi Police launched an investigation, revealing a connection to Russia as the email ID used in the threats was traced back to the country led by Vladimir Putin.
The Delhi government also issued an advisory to schools, emphasizing the importance of monitoring official emails regularly and promptly reporting any potential threats to authorities.
“School Administrators/Managers/Heads of Government/Government Aided and Unaided Recognised Schools under the Directorate of Education, GNCT Delhi, should ensure that emails/messages received on the official email ID of the school at any time of the day (before, during, or after school hours) are checked timely,” the advisory emphasized.
